Category: Culture

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) just announced it’s Phase IV lineup. I wouldn’t normally talk about it, but I’m really excited for one of their projects (okay, I like most of the movie ones – but this one, I’m really excited for): Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

I’ll admit that I was never all that excited about martial arts movies or comics as a kid and I pretty well stayed away from them. I didn’t get the appeal of Bruce Lee, didn’t start watching Jackie Chan until I was well into my 20s, and the likes of Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu just didn’t interest me.

So why now? Well, first, it’s the MCU. They’ve earned my money and respect. They’ve put my childhood on the big screen and I like almost everything they put up on it. So I have a lot of confidence that this movie will be done right. And the casting is off to a great start. Simu Liu will star as Shang Chi and the movie co-stars Awkwafina and Tony freakin’ Leung as the Mandarin. The REAL Mandarin. Not that fake one from Iron Man 3.

And second, it’s another movie with Asian actors on screen in leading roles. And that’s my jam. Stories set in Asia with Asian characters. Of course I’m excited. I write this stuff.

The writing never ends. This past few weeks, I’ve been mentoring several writers online. It’s something I never thought I would do, but joining a few Facebook groups dedicated to writing and helping other writers has opened up the opportunity.

I am starting my outline for a novel. It is still in the planning stages and I’ll have more for you when I get something more solid. Right now, all I can say is that it involves Yokai. And steampunk.

Speaking of Yokai, I got yet another idea for a story. I don’t know if it is a short story or a longer piece, but I cannot see it becoming a novel. It has been on my mind lately, so I thought I’d share it with you. My main character exorcises apartments and other places haunted by Yūrei, Japanese ghosts. Doesn’t sound too original, does it? The twist is that he is a real estate agent who specializes in cleaning and then flipping “stigmatized” properties – properties that have have dead bodies found in them. How the people died is irrelevant. It could be murder, suicide, or natural causes. Whatever the cause, he cleans them out. Sound gruesome? Yeah, I thought so too. Yet I can’t get it out of my head. I’ll let you know when I finish it.

Schedule for When Words Collide

When Words Collide is only a few weeks away and oh, man do I have a busy schedule. If you wish to find me, here is a list of panels I’ll be on during the festival:

The Stories We Hide (Friday 5 PM – Fireside ) Join the editors and authors of this year’s Enigma Front anthology. I am one of the authors in this year’s anthology. My story is entitled “I Travelled the World Between.”

How to Write for Roleplay Game Companies (Friday 9 PM – Canmore )Which are the A-list RPG companies you want to write for? What makes one better than the others? What are they looking for? How familiar do you need to be with their worlds and rules? Must you stick to their Bible, or can you bring in your own creative ideas?

Living in a Multi-Cultural World (Saturday 11 AM – Bonavista ) We live in a world made up of peoples of diverse races, ethnicities, and cultures. Yet, as readers and writers, we often forget that we live in such a world. Panellists will discuss their experiences living as an ethnic minority in North America. Panellists may also have suggestions on further reading, favourite authors, and tips on writing characters who are persons of colour. Come with your questions and an open mind.

East and West: How Our Mindset Changes the Way We Tell Stories (Sunday 10 AM – Parkland ) If you’ve read manga, watched K-drama, or enjoyed a Kurosawa film, you may have noticed eastern storytelling often differs from western. Why aren’t the protagonists protag-ing? Why aren’t characters standing up for themselves? Why are there more than three acts? Join us to explore Asian storytelling, an ancient structure with millions of fans, as we discuss style differences, cultural shaping of art, and how you can use these tools to make your own work stronger.

#ownvoices: How Diversity is Taking the Writing World by Storm(Sunday 2 PM – Canmore ) #ownvoices is a movement that encourages diverse writers to include the lived experiences of their community in their stories. Why has this trend taken off, and why is it good for the literary world?

Hope to see you all at the festival.

About Me

A Prix-Aurora Award nominated author of the short story Rose’s Arm and co-editor of Shanghai Steam, Calvin D. Jim is a Calgary lawyer-turned-author whose Asian-inspired stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and publications. A self-proclaimed geek, he managed to wrangle his wife and two sons into board games and Karate (not necessarily in that order, and not without injury). His latest stories can be found in the anthologies Where the Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy and Enigma Front: Onward.